A recent study revealed that some passengers face walks longer than a kilometer from check in to their gates at the airport. For some older passengers or those with some disability this can result in a rush to the gate which they my not be physically comfortable with, or a request for assistance which at that time might be too late.
It is said the walk at Stansted for example, is about 1165 meters, which for some is too much. But how do we resolve this issue? It is recommended by the travel industry that you request help two days in advance, but what if you are new to travel, or you’re okay with walking most distances but then you realise it’s too far?
In this case, sometimes, this may be one of the reasons airports request that you get there so early, in order to allow yourself plenty of time to get to your gate. Some passengers feel that some airports are designed like this in order to get customers to walk through the duty free shops, and at Stansted this is very true.
So, as the article points out, some disabled passengers may be caught off guard, and it may be too late to get them the assistance they need. There are a few suggestions floated about the internet which could reduce the hassle for passengers: the airport could post the distance from check in to the gate, passengers can take several stops and rest on the way, or simply, tough it out as the British are known to simply keep on and carry on.